The Needles Park on the Isle of Wight has an on-going programme of employee development which includes a commitment to be proactively involved with the local community. In an economy that relies heavily on the visitor economy they believe it is critical for those working in the sector to be highly professional and skilled so they can offer the best possible products and services to ensure repeat business and recommendations.
To achieve this strand of their development programme the Needles Park has, over the past three years, worked in partnership with Job Centre Plus, the Isle of Wight College and Tourism South East to successfully deliver an innovative and tailored pre-employment package which has benefited the local community and created real employment opportunities for the Island.
The Job Centre Plus and the Isle of Wight College feel this programme has helped many of the Isle of Wight’s unemployed to learn valuable new skills and interview experience which will has ultimately opened up a range of employment opportunities across the Island.
Part of this sector based academy package involved the delivery of a one day Welcome Host Gold customer service course. As well as learning all about how to deal with customers and deliver world class standards of service, the course also included content on local Island knowledge so that they have the confidence to promote and sell what the Island has to offer.
The success of the programme in 2014 has been wide reaching because all seven who participated impressed the Needles Park so much that they were all offered jobs. They are now in the process of building successful careers in tourism.
Several of those who graduated through this partnership scheme in previous years are also still employed at the Park.
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